Nov '11 07
Wladimir Balentien wins Homerun Title in Japanese Central League
Outfielder Wladimir Balentien, a former player for the Dutch national team, has won the homerun title in the Japanese Central League. He belted 31 long balls this season, wearing the jersey of the Yakult Swallows. The 27-year-old from Curacao batted .228 with a league-leading slugging percentage of .469. He didn’t lead all of Japan, as Takeya Nakamura of the Seibu Lions hit a whopping 48 homeruns in the Pacific League. The 2011 season ended for Balentien on Sunday, when his Yakult Swallows lost the decisive fifth game of their Climax Series 1-2 against the Chunichi Dragons. The Dragons now will face the Softbank Hawks in the Nippon Series, starting on Saturday, November 12.
